Film Review Paper Example: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Exit through the Gift Shop, is one of Banksys films that presents to the world the art from the roots of all arts. The movie in exploring the life of an amateur photographer, Thierry Guetta, relays the real art world. While going through his photography, he stumbles upon the world of street art, which heightens his interest and he gets to interact with other artists. The film presents several questions in the art world that can never be so much seen when art is viewed from an observers point of view. In the life of Thierry, a lot is revealed about artists, their making and the position they play in todays world.

Contemporary art refers to the types of art made by artists living today. Notably, todays artists respond to the diverse culture and the global changes observed in everyday life. Such artists work in a wide range of media which makes it relatively hard to express themselves in totality. The question addressed today is no longer the appealing nature of the art but rather the challenge such art poses, and the possible information it portrays (10:23). To some extent, there are restrictions that present barriers to their work, hence, bringing into the picture, the question of authenticity. While focusing on authenticity, it is worth noting that artists revert to questioning the traditional ideas of art, and its definition at large. It is the same value that artists hide behind their pen names but still express themselves.

The world is full of artistic products made by prominent artists. However, not all works of art are attributed to given composers. Just as mentioned afore, artists struggle with authenticity, and this is what drives them to hide behind specific names, unidentifiable by the world (36:14). While questions keep rising as to who to regard as an artist, it is considered right to make the real artist the one who comes up with an artistic idea and spreads it so the world can relate with it. Take the case of Thierry, he was not an artist, but his love for photography led him to work with other artists who taught him to blend within the field. In the end, he is the one considered an artist after he spreads the pieces of art he collected through his videos. Indeed, an artist is the person identifiable when a piece of art is considered.

Anyone can be an artist. The notion somehow comes to pass. It is true that artist are born, but that does not invalidate the fact that they are made too. Indeed, this is a point of concern in the todays world where everyone tries to remain mysterious whereas the issues to be addressed keep increasing. Moreover, the decrease in the number of people to be held accountable while shying away from facts that can easily be defended has become the norm, and it is a call out on artists to do authentic production and be there for it. In the last parts of the film, Banksy seems to ridicule Thierrys course of action; he calls his art inauthentic (70: 14). Despite Banksys argument, it is ascertainable that Thierry achieves the climb, and he is worth being regarded an artist. Though his work might have lacked authenticity, it is clear that that is not the standard that people look out for today.

Reference

Banksy, (Director). Exit through the Gift Shop: 2010. Madman, 2010.